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Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.

Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full Three Lions team.

His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a proper throwback, a journey seldom told in the modern era.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for England as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.

“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”

So how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?

Learning in the lower tiers

Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.

He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.

Prior to he turned 13, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.

Rather, he opted to stay on the island and play for his hometown club.

“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.

“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood back was a thing I definitely needed.

“Building some self-belief by coming back and taking part in island football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”

When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.

“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”

Making a comeback to the pro ranks

Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.

“It was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total shock.

“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”

Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.

Scott made 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.

Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.

“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.

Within 90 days after, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.

Getting his major transfer

The midfielder experienced a difficult first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the team.

His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.

“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.

“That felt like yet another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”

But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.

He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.

And he has begun this season equally as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.

“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player said recently.

“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”